Friday, December 7, 2012

Inside a Pine Cone

Inside a Pine Cone - Image by Ann Bilowz

Have you ever wondered what a pine cone really is? It’s not a seed and it’s not a fruit. Think of a pine cone as its own architecture. “A cluster of highly modified woody scales tightly packed together to protect the developing conifer seeds inside.” Sounds a bit like shelter and what architecture is meant to do. As Philip Johnson, the American architect reminds us, “All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.” Or in the case of a pine cone, its seeds.

That’s why this whole outdoor/nature/garden thing is so cool to explore at any age. So much of what we discover on the outside relates to what we try to achieve on the inside. It’s why architecture and landscape architecture tightly woven together work best when this concept is understood and put into place. So when you pull out those pine cones to glitter and decorate for the holidays it’s more than a pine cone. It’s architecture in its simplest form. But don’t forget the outside space where the seed finds its home and eventually becomes the next tree.